Moisture control device for duplicating machines



F. R. FORD Nov. 21, 1950 MOISTURE CONTROL DEVICE FOR DUPLICATINGMACHINES Filed March 1, 1946 WSIB.

|N\/ENTOR ATTOFENEYS Patented Nov. 2l, 1950 UNITED MOISTURE. CONTROL YBEV-ICE' FOR' DUPLICATING MACHINES Frank- Ronald Ford, Birmingham,England Application- Marchl 1, 194'6; Serial No. 651,265 In. Great.Britain J 27,. 1945s- 2 oni-ms.v (ci. rar-'1325) This invention relatesto duplicating machines of the kind wherein a masterv sheet bearing inreversescript" the matter to be reproduced, is mounted on a cylinderwith which co-operates a pressure roller, the copy sheets being fedbetween the cylinder and pressure roller and being moistenedby means ofa moistening pad before coming into contact with the master sheet on thecylinder.

The present invention is applicable to machinesv of this type and toconstructions in which thefpressure roller is above the cylinder, inwhich case the copy sheet isA moistenedv on its underside, and tomachines in which the pressure roller is below thev cylinder, in whichcase the copy sheets are moistened on their upper sides,

The object of the present invention is to provide improved moisteningmeans forthe copy sheets;

According to the present invention, in a machine ofthe kind specified, Iprovide a moisteningappliance` which comprises a reservoir formoist'ening liquid; a moistening pad mounted in a suitable support, and'one or more devices, such as' wicks, for feeding the liquid from thereser- Voir' tothe pad, means for automatically severingv orladjustingor controlling the connection between saidfeeding means and thepad at the er1-dior? eachi revolution ofthe cylinder, and one or moreauxiliary feeders permanently in en- 1 gagement with the liquid in thereservoir and with the pad.

Each auxiliary feeder may consist of a length of porous flexiblematerial, such as a single strand of worsted. Each such auxiliary feederhas one end or both ends` submerged in the liquid in the reservoir,andthe other end, or an intermediate paralocatedi between that side` oftheA pad which istremote-from the side to be engaged byl thecopy sheetsand the pad holder; Such auxiliaryfeeder or feeders are adapted' toprovide suflicientmoisture forA starting the machine after a period. of'rest, and it or they prevent the pad fromV drying out during a period ofrest,

The means ior automatically severing, adjust-V ing, or controlling theconnection between the main feedingV meansA and the pad, or between themain` feeding means and an absorbent' member connected` tothe pad, mayinclude a movable element, and this m-ay bey arranged and operated as,disclosed inv either of prior U. S. A. specificaA tions Pat, Nos.2,398,888 issued to me on the 23d; April. 19.46 or 540,486 filed 115thJune,` 1944.

Further, the4 movable element or elements withv which the main feeder orfeeders are associa-ted be operatedautomatically by a ctmV Oli-Other camor other means may be. connected te the movable element or elements.. byany suitable orm. .ot mechanical gear, suclr, for instance,l as bellcrank levers and links. The movableelement. or elements with which themain feeder or feeders. are associated may bein thevv form of an.oscillating clip.

Referring` to the drawings Figurer is a sectional View in side elevationshowing, a. machine to which thev presentY inventi'on has been applied.

Figure 2 is a sectional View inside. elevation showing the moisteningmeans.

Figure 3` is a sectional iront` view showing. a portidn.v of themoistening means.

Figure-ris aperspective View showing a portion of the moistening means.

Figures; 2, 3 and. 4.- are drawn to. a larger scale than ifgure l..

In the construction illustrated, the invention is applied to a machinehaving side frames. Hl connected by bolts H and supporting a cylinder 22mounted on a spindle E3 rotatingin bearings inthe framen Hl; Thecylinder l2v is provided with a clip I4 by which a master sheet may besecured to its periphery, and the cylinder can be rotatedf by hand orpower in the direction indicated.

The pressure roller is shown at |-5 and is mounted on a spindle |61.

` it one endofthe cylinder a flange I1 is provided? having a recess t8engaged by a springloaded check device le se` that the rotation of thercylinder'V is: checked at the end of each revolution.

The copy sheets are fed over a tray (not shown) and between the cylinderIZ- andthe pressure roller` i5, the copy sheets in this constructionbeing mo-istened on the upper side by abad 2l), the copy sheets beingpressed upwardly against this. pad bya mcisteni-ng; bar 2'! carried byla lever Z2 pi'vcted at 23 and havingan @spill lating inotionirnpartedtov it` byy a cam 24 on the end of the cylinder l2, the cam 2dcontacting a roller 2:5 carried by a pin 25V secured tcl the lever2'2.The arrangement is; such that' at `thev end eif each revolution, whenrthe motion ofz the,

cylinder l2 is.v checked by the device t9, the lever 22 is oscillated bythe cam 24 to bring the moisteningbar 2t away from they pad 20 tol allowthe sheets-r to loe/fled lbetween the pad andy the barl 24. tof the line0i Contact; between the; cylinder and the pressure roller I5. When thecylinder is rotated, the cam 24 leaves the roller 25, and the moisteningbar 2| moves up and presses the copy sheet into Contact with theIunderside of a skin covering 2l on the exposed portion of the pad 2E.The levers 22 (there is one at each end of the machine) arespring-loaded in a direction causing the bar 2| to move into contactwith the copy sheet as soon as the roller 25 leaves the cam 24.

The motstening appliance comprises a tank 28 supported by the framesIll, the tank having a drain opening normally closed by a. removableplug 29.

Each end of the tank is provided with an upwardly extending tubularmember 3i), the upper ends of which are secured to plates 3| havingflanges 32 which can slide into slots 33 provided in the end frames lll.

The two plates 3| are connected by a plate 34 Y having an opening 35,and the pad 28 is placed against the underside of the plate 34 and isheld in position by a channel-shaped member 36 of sheet metal having aportion 311 which embraces one edge of the plate 34.

" YThe plate 34 is provided with a flange 9 which positions the exposedportion of the pad 20.

End plates 38 of angle section are mounted on the tops or" the plates3|, and these end plates 38 are connected by a sheet metal cover 39forming a housing for an oscillating clip 40. This clip is mounted on atube 4| having a pin 42 fixed in each end, these pins being adapted tooscillate in the end plates 38.

One of the pins 42, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with two levers t3,44, which are xed on the pin. The lever 43 is acted upon by a tensionspring 45 fixed to a pin 46 on the plate 3|, and the lever 44 engages alever 47 pivoted at 48 to the side frame Hl, and having a second arm 49provided with a roller 5E! acted upon by an eccentric 5| mounted on thespindle I3 of the cylinder.

The clip 45 embraces the tube 4I and is provided with two jaws betweenwhich is clamped the centre part 52 of a wick, the end portions 53 ofwhich extend downwardly through the members into the liquid in the tank23.

The arrangement is such that the lever 4S, which is acted upon by thetension spring 54, is oscillated by the eccentric 5| during the rotationof the cylinder, and causes the clip to move the centre part 52 of thewick down into Contact with the upper side of the pad 20, and totransfer the moistening liquid thereto. At the end of each revolution ofthe cylinder, when the check device i9 cornes into operation, the centrepart 52 of the wick is moved away and out of contact with the pad 2li.The plate 34 is provided in suitable positions with two bridge plates55, to each of which is secured one end of a feeder 55 which may be madeof a single strand of worsted, and each of these feeders extendsdownwardly through the portion 3|] into the liquid in the tank 28. Thus,the pad 2i! in addition to being moistened periodically by the part 52oi the mein wick, is provided with a constant source of moisture by thefeeders 56, this constant source of moisture being always in operationeven when the machine is not being used.

Further, I may provide additional feeders 51 each made as a singlestrand ci worsted, each of these feeders having one end in the liquid inthe tank 28 and extending upwardly through one of the parts 30, andthence through an opening 59 into the tube 4|, and through an opening 60in the tube and thus into contact with the portion 52 of the main wick.The main wick is thus constantly fed with moistening uid, this feedbeing in operation even when the machine is out of use.

In operation the pad 20 receives moistening liquid while the machine isworking during a part of each revolution of the cylinder from the part52 of the main wick, and the part 52 of the main wick and the pad itselfare constantly fed with a small amount of the moistening liquid, bothwhen the machine is in operation and when it is out of use. By thisprovision the machine can be put into use without delay even if it hasbeen out of use for a considerable period, as the feeders 56 and 51provide suicient moisture for starting.

What I claim then is:

l. In a duplicating machine 0i the kind specified and including a framein which is supported a rotary cylinder having a clip for holdthe mastersheet, moistening means for the copy sheets comprising a reservoir formoistening liquid, a support for a moistening pad including a slottedplate, a moistening pad of absorbent material in said support, endplates mounted on said slotted plate, a tube extending between said endplates, pins xed in the ends of said tube engaging said end plates, oneof said pins projecting through one of the end plates, a two-armed leverxed on said pin, means operated by the rotation ci the machine cylinder'for oscillating said lever, a clip mounted on said tube, a wick having aportion immersed in the inoistening liquid and a portion held in saidclip, the wick portion held in said clip being moved by the oscillationof the clip in and out of contact with said mostening member, said Wickbeing held by the clip out of contact with the moistening pad when themachine is stationary, a feeder for moistening liquid having a portionimmersed in the liquid in the reservoir and a portion permanently incontact with the meistening pad, and an additional feeder formoist-ching liquid having a portion immersed in the liquid in thereservoir and a portion in contact with that part of the wick held bythe clip, one end oi said additional feeder extending through a portionof said tube and into contact with the wick portion held in the clip.

2. In a duplicating machine of the kind specied and including a frame inwhich is supported at rotary cylinder having a clip for holding a mastersheet, moistening means for the copy sheets comprising a reservoir formeistening liquid, a support for a moistening pad, tubes connecting theends of the reservoir with the ends of the support, a moistening pad ofabsorbentmaterial in said support, a check device for checking therotation of the cylinder at the end of each revolution, a clip pivotallymounted near said moistening pad, a lever on the pivot of the clip, anactuating member on the cylinder for rocking said lever, a wick havingits ends immersed in the moistening liquid, said wick having portionshoused in said tubes, and having a portion held in said clip, the wickportion held in said clip being moved by the oscillation ofthe clip inand out of contact with said moistening member, said wick being held bythe clip out of contact with the moistening pad when the machine isstationary and said check device is in j 5 6 its operative position, andfeeders each having -1 UNITED STATES PATENTS one part immersed in theliquid in the reservoir Numbr; Name Date and having another portion incontact with the 2,072,534 Terry Man 2, 1937 wick, one of said feedersextending through each 2,171,Q51 Ford Aug, 29, 1939 of said tubes. 52,177,538 Neidich oct. 24, 1939 FRANK RONALD FORD, 22291583 Morris Jan.21, 1941 ff 2,345,335 Ford .1 Mar. 28, 1944 REFERENCES CITED 2,398,888Ford ..-APL 23, 1946 The following referentes are of record in the 10FOREIGN PATENTS le of this patent: Numberl.- Country Date 565,759 GreatBritain Nov. 27, 1944

